Zither-piano.



H. F. SCHENUIT.

ZITHER PIANO`.` APPucAnon min Auazs. lsu.

1,282,636. Fammi out. 22,1918.

HENRY F. SGHENUIT, 0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

ZITHER-PIANQ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Application led August 29, 1917. Serial No. 188,821.

Toall 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. SGHENUIT, alcitizen of the United States,residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles Vand State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Zither-Pianos,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a Zither piano.

In the use of the ordinary piano it is not difficult to obtain firm,resonant tones from the strings, due to the fact that the strings areindividually struck with a positively acting hammer which insures thatsufficient volume of tone will he produced by the string and inproportion to the 'force with which the string is struck. In theconstruction of Zither pianos it has been a matter of considerablediiculty to design a sounding board and arrange the strings thereon in amanner to insure that the picking4 action of the string vibratingmembers will initially act=upon the strings in a mannerto eause'themtoproduce clear tones of fine'timbre. Itzis an object of the presentinvention toprovide a sounding board and a string arrangement thereonwhich will makefsuch a 'result possible.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sounding board which isso con structed as to prevent buckling of the board under the stl-ingtension.

@ther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way o1 example, `in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of Vmy sounding board as' surpplied with strings andsuitable huid-ges.

" Fig. 2 s a. view in transverse section 40 through thelsdundingfhoardas seen on the yfline 24-'42 of Iillgf.f land as particularlyillustratiirg' the detail construction of the4 board.

"Fi .1 'is a viewfi'n section as seen on the line -sof-Figrl andillustrates fthe manner-in which vibration of 'the strings istransmitted through the frame members to the 'soundin hoard.

Referring' more-,particularly to the drewzings, 10i-"indiennesmetalli-e' adapted to provide reinforcement for a sounding board 11. Theframe 10 is substantially triangular in shape, its body portionresembling an isosceles triangle. The frame 10 as shown in Figs. 1 and2, comprises the straight vertical web 10, the straight vertical web 10bextending from the upper end of the web 10a at an angle of about sixtydegrees, the straight vertical Web l0c conmeeting the lower end of theweb 10a to the outer end of the web 10'), the flanges 10, 10e :and l()fextendingr inwardly from the Webs 10 10b and 10C slightly above theircenters in cross-section, and the arm 10g extending from the meetingends of the webs 10b and l()u parallel with the web Il()a and to a pointin transeverse alinernent with the end of the web 10, The sounding board11 is in serted upwardly and fits within the webs 10, 10b and 10eagainst the flanges 10d, 10e and lOf. One of the sides of this frame isitted with a series of tuning pins l2 which are staggered in rela-tionto each other and mounted within a wooden pin block ,13 which extendsalong and beneath the upper edge of the sounding board. The pin block 13is inserted upwardly against the sounding board 11 in opposition to theiang'fe 10", and the tuning pins 12 are inserted down wardly throughlarge openings in the flange 10e, through the sounding; board 1l, andinto the pin block 13. The spacing blocks 13 are inserted upwardlyagainst the bottom of the sounding board l1 in opposition to the flanges10r1` and 10I and match with the pin block 13'. The opposite side of thesounding board is provided with a series of hitch pins 14 which arefastened into the `frame and positioned therealong inequitlly spacedrelation to each other. The hitch pins 14 are rigidly mounted in theflange 101'. Each of the-hitch pins is opposite'on'e of the tuning pinsandthus a series of music strings 15 are stretchedA across the board andover a metal rib 16 adjacent the tun-ing pins, and a wooden bridge 17adjacent the hitch pins. The metal rib 1'6 extends upwardly from' theflange `10" near'i'ts inner edge and from the upper end'of' theV ses@l0d about one-fourth of the distance to the meeting ends of the webs 10band 10c for supporting the long strings only. The wooden bridge 17extends under all the strings and is located near to and parallel withthe flange 10. It is to be noted that the wooden bridge is spaced adistance from the hitch pins. This has been done to produce a betterquality of tone when the strings are struck. In order to prevent thehigher notes from having a metallic sound, it is preferable to positiona second bridge 18 beneath the Strings ranging from the second octaveabove middle C upwardly and forming a continuation of the rib 16. Thisbridge is of wood and is of a height greater than that of the metallicrib 16. The wooden brid es are provided with top wires 19 and 19 W ichextend the length of each bridge and are so mounted as to support thezither strings without permitting them to touch the wood portion of thebridge. In this manner the strings will be supported upon a narrow rib.As a means for providing longer string lengths for the lower notes, therib 16 is drawn closer to the tuning pins beneath the long strings.

4 Fixed beneath the frame is the sounding board 11. This board is formedof laminated strips of wood which are here shown as erforated to providesound openings 20 and) 21. The opening 20 occurs between transversemetallic frame members 22 and 23, while the opening 21 is disposedbetween the transverse member 23 and the end of the frame. By thisarrangement the sound may readily pass through the sounding board andinto a compartment 24 therebeneath. This compartment is inclosed bymeans of a bottom board 25 which is formed with a series of openings 26distributed over its surface. The bottom board 25 is inserted upwardlyagainst the pin block 13 and the spacing blocks 13 so that its lowerface is substantially flush with the lower edges of the webs 10a, l()band 10c.

Reference being had to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that thewooden bridges 1,7 and 18 are formed with cut-away portions 27 whichaccommodate the transverse ribs 22 and 23 of the frame. These ribs arenot permitted to touch the bridge nor are they-in contact with thesounding board for a reason which will be evident. However, at the pointat which the bridge passes over the ribs a sounding post 28 ispositioned beneath the bridge and extends downwardly through an opening29 in the rib and bears upon the soundin board. 'In this manner thevibrationof t e strings is more effectively transmitted to the soundingboard and a more pleasing tone produced.

The frame members 22 and 23 are formed integralwith the anges 10 and 10tand extend parallel with the web 10* and flange 10d and serve as bracesbetween the webs 10b and 10.

The leading features of the sounding board and frame thus constructedare:

The webs 10a, 10b and 10c,I the flanges 10d, 10 and 10, and the braces22 and 23, all cast integral so as to make a rigid homogeneous frame ofuniform strength and Without joints;

The insertion of the sounding bo-ard 11 against the bottoms of theflanges 10d, 1()e and 10t and tightly within the webs 10, 10b and 10C;

The insertion of the pin block 13 and the spacing blocks 13 against thesounding board;

The insertion of the bottom 25 agains the pin block and spacing blocks;

The continuous iron band all the way around the edge of the soundingboard and against the upper side of the sounding board adjacent theedge.

While I have shown the preferred construction of my invention as nowknown to me, it will be understood that various changes in thecombination, construction and arrangement of parts may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

l. A Zither piano, comprising a continuous metal band forming atriangle, a ilange extending inwardly from the band intermediate of itsedges, a sounding board inserted upwardly and fitting closely within theband and agamst the flange, spacin blocks inserted upwardly within theban against the sounding boardand in opposition to the flange, and abottom inserted upwardly against the spacing blocks.

2. A zither piano, comprising a continuous metal band forming atriangular frame, a flange extending inwardly from the band intermediateof its edges and all the way around, a sounding board inserted upwardlyand fitting closely within the band against the flange, a pin blockinserted upwardly against the sounding board in opposition to the angeat one side of the triangle, spacing blocks inserted upwardly againstthe sounding board and in opposition to the flange at the other twosides of the triangle hitch pins lixed in the Iiange at one side o thetri-angle, bridges mounted upon the sounding board, strlngs attached tothe pins and extendin over the bridges, and tuning pins insertedownwardly through loose openings in the flange into-'the pm block, theother ends of the strings being attached to the tuning pins. V

3. A zither piano, comprising' a =vertical web formin a continuoustriangular wall, a continuous. ange extending inwardly from

